VZCZCXRO0168
PP RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #1625/01 2420711
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 300711Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8462
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1799
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1798
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1743
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1794
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1753
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1684
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1764
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1505
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1519
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1714
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 1070
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1766
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE PRIORITY 9857

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 001625 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ECON EFIN EAIR EINV TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN'S DONALD TRUMP: "NUR" MAY BECOME A LOCAL 
HOUSEHOLD NAME 
 
REF: A) DUSHANBE 0626  B) DUSHANBE 1314 
 
DUSHANBE 00001625  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: An upstart local competitor to Tajik Air has 
reached an agreement to begin domestic and international flights 
using new Russian planes.  "NUR" recently opened its airport 
terminal in Khujand, will invest $15 million to renovate the 
airport in Qurghon-Teppa in the south, and negotiated for 22 
hectares of land near the U.S.-funded bridge at Nizhniy Pyanj to 
build an economic zone with a hotel, restaurant, and trade 
complex.  NUR's experience demonstrates that the proper 
political backing swiftly moves along major business initiatives 
in Tajikistan.  End Summary. 
 
THE ENTREPRE-NUR 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Self-made businessman Nurullo Usmanov, the head of 
NUR, is quickly becoming the Donald Trump of Tajikistan.  NUR 
has major holdings in construction, consumer imports, natural 
gas consumption, agricultural processing, textiles, aviation, 
medicine, and education.  Usmanov began making money in fifth 
grade, and in ninth grade he bought his first two cars.  In the 
1980's he opened a production cooperative that he later 
reorganized into NUR, now employing 3,000 people across several 
sectors. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Authorities finally allowed NUR's airport terminal in 
Khujand to open two years after its construction (Reftel A), and 
the company will operate international flights in and out of 
Khujand.  Local flights still go through the old, unpleasant 
terminal, but Tajik Air is currently negotiating with NUR to use 
its new facility.  According to Usmanov, the Sughd regional 
authorities and Tajik Air kept the new terminal out of business 
for two years.  Recently, Usmanov convinced President Rahmonov 
to open the Khujand terminal.  According to various sources, to 
shore up political support, Usmanov became a co-partner of Orion 
International Group, run by President Rahmonov's brother-in-law. 
 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Usmanov stated that after the terminal opened in 
Khujand August 5, Khatlon regional authorities and the 
Presidential Administration became so eager to build a new 
terminal in the Qurghon-Teppa airport, near Rahmonov's home, 
they immediately allowed NUR to start repairs of the airfield 
and runway.  Ground-breaking of the new terminal is scheduled to 
begin September 10, with President Rahmonov participating as 
part of the Tajik Independence Day celebrations.  Usmanov plans 
to invest up to $15 million in the new terminal and air 
navigation system at Qurghon-Teppa.  Usmanov told EmbOffs that 
he acquired 22 hectares of land near the U.S. funded bridge at 
Nizhniy Pyanj, where he will build a hotel and trading center 
plus a cargo terminal for regional transport. 
 
NUR AIR 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Usmanov intends to lease four new Yak-42 planes from 
Saratov Air, and put them under his name "NUR", for 
international flights.  Usmanov negotiated with the governor of 
Saratov region, the Director of Saratov Air (SARAVIA), and the 
Director of the Saratov Plane Manufacturing Co., on the opening 
of a twice-weekly Moscow-Saratov-Qurghon-Teppa-Moscow flight, 
operated by Saratov Air.  The first flight arrived in 
Qurghon-Teppa to great publicity August 17.   In addition, 
Usmanov plans to purchase four Yak-40 planes from Tajik Air and 
rehabilitate them in Saratov, Russia, for domestic flights in 
Tajikistan. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) NUR Air could breathe a welcome sign of life into the 
Tajik airline industry.  The Tajik Air fleet consists of 
outdated TU-154M, Yak-40, An-24, An-28 and Mi-8 helicopters. 
The four TU-154M planes are 15-23 years old and will last until 
¶2015.  Mechanics who work in the airport have a saying that the 
 
DUSHANBE 00001625  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
"planes fly simply on the honest words of the mechanics." 
Rather than paying $1 million to rehabilitate its old planes, 
sources claim Tajik Air pays the Moscow Aviation Bureau $100,000 
each year in bribes to recertify the planes' operational life. 
Despite years of talk of leasing two Boeings or Airbus planes, 
Tajik Air has no concrete plans to modernize.  Tajik Air's 
monopoly of airplanes, airfield, airport, and navigation and 
fuel supplies have stifled industry development.  While Russian 
air companies conduct more than 18 flights a week to and from 
Dushanbe, Tajik Air has been reluctant to allow Turkish Air, the 
only western standard carrier flying to Dushanbe, more than one 
flight a week (Reftel B). 
 
¶7.  (SBU) COMMENT:  Breaking into the airline industry could 
bring Mr. Usmanov and NUR to a new level of recognition in 
Tajikistan, where passengers' frustration in the stagnant 
airline industry has bubbled over.  The highlighted case 
represents a clear example of direct involvement of President 
Rahmonov and his family in the business affairs of Tajikistan. 
In this case, however, the result should be a welcome 
development for Tajik airline passengers.  END COMMENT. 
HUSHEK